I have decided to analyse page 61 of OK! magazine issue 748. It is an interview with pop star Rihanna.I have decided to analyse page 61 of OK! Magazine, issue 748. It is an interview with pop star Rihanna.
The magazine is set in the standard A4 paper size, which provides significant space for the contents of each page. The main image on the first page takes up most of the page, with a small box of text in the bottom left hand corner. The masthead is situated in the top left hand corner, with two strap line above and below it.
The main image used on this side of the spread depicts a mid-shot to long-shot picture of Rihanna. The camera angle is on the ground, while looking up at her while she is slightly looking down to face the camera. She is wearing a long, flowing in the wind, gold/yellow dress. The connotations with this are that because she is looking down on the camera, she has a higher status and has more power over readers. The colour of her dress, gold/yellow psychologically symbolises wealth, power and cheerfulness. This relates to the conception of the camera angle. Her hair cut into a sharp, black bob, seemingly a contrast to the dress as the dress is elegant and sophisticated, while the hair is sharp and loud. This is juxtaposition. The scenery in this image is of a light blue sky, sea and rocks in Barbados. The scenery denotes peace and harmony, which is what the clear sky, clear sea against the contrast of black rocks symbolises. The sea can also symbolise women, so the position of Rihanna in the shot can symbolise female empowerment. The scenery appears untainted by humans. The scene is naturalistic, relating to her dress, which flows in the wind and creates a 'goddess' effect. Therefore, the image essentially doesn't carry much verisimilitude, as the image looks like it belongs in an ancient Greek artist's portfolio. The lighting is clear and obviously taken during the day, adding weight to the scenery. Overall, the image is calming, beautiful and naturalistic. There is also a white caption contrasting against the black rocks in the bottom right hand corner, which tells the reader the information that Rihanna is from Barbados, relating to the picturesque scenery.
The masthead in the top left hand corner is written in a black font, contrasting against the light blue and white cloud background so that it stands out and is readable. The signifier marry signifies that the interview will involve the singer's love life, leading to the nature of OK! magazine; as it is a celebrity gossip magazine the reader is looking for information on celebrities personal life. The font used is soft, and goes nicely with the main image.
The strapline above the masthead is written inside a black 'strip'. Inside this it includes the signifier HOLLYWOOD, the term used to describe the interview. Unlike the white font the rest of the text is written in, this signifier is written in an orange/brown font. The colour works well against the black so it creates nice contrasting, while the colour is similar to the dress in the main image, keeping to a colour scheme. The word signifies that the interview is definitely celebrity orientated, as Hollywood is the place you associate with famous stars. The strap line below the masthead is also written in a black font, like the masthead. It provides the reader with what the interview discusses, therefore addressing that the magazine is offering them vicarious knowledge on the person being interviewed. The signifier RIHANNA is written in bold to add emphasise to the status of fame the interviewee is. The strap line is also written in capital letters, so that it stands out.
The interview begins on the first page and follows onto the next page. On the first page, the interview is in a small white box of text in the bottom left hand corner. The font used is black and in the style of Arial, or a font similar. The effect is the black makes the white background appear brighter and clearer, while having good contrasting which allows the text to be readable. The simple font also aids this technique. Like many magazines do, they lay bold emphasis on the first letter of the text. It is written in a much bigger font and bolded. Choice of words used by the journalist in the interview include 'it's getting serious between Rihanna and her new boyfriend...', which also sets of the interview. This emphasises that the journalist is more interested in the singer’s personal life than her music, as the journalist only mentions her music secondarily to her love life. The opening question is asking Rihanna about her drug addicted dad and domestic abuse in her parents' relationship. The journalist is immediately treading into very personal territory, which gives the reader the gossip. The journalist only asks her three questions relating to her music, with the majority of the questions interrogating her about her personal life. This relates to the nature of OK! magazine.
The layout of the second page contains two main images and roughly a third of the vertical page is given to the interview on the left hand side. Again, like the first page of the spread, this page is dominated by images. The top image, which takes up half the page, depicts Rihanna lying face up on a sofa. This image denotes things such as the fact she is wearing a vibrant pink, strapless nightdress style dress. Psychologically, vibrant pink symbolises high energy and passion. The effect of this dress expresses her sexuality, which she is known for, while also emphasising her femininity. Her pose relates to this, as she is using her hand to indicate the area around her neck/chest, which is an extremely sexual gesture. She is also looking toward the camera in a half turn, while pouting slightly, which maximises this. The zebra print sofa mixes her provocative persona with a 'retro' feel.
The image below this is a paparazzi image taken at an event with fellow celebrity Katy Perry. The image is a close up to mid shot of them, and they are leaning into each other, showing their closeness as friends, which is mentioned a few times in the interview. This image also contains a caption explaining the two images and is written in a white font, which contrasts with the black and red background. Another image is placed over the top of the bottom half image and depicts Rihanna and her boyfriend. The image is another paparazzi shot, but their body language suggests they don't feel comfortable with the paparazzi taking photos. This shows the reader the singer's personal time the interview talks about a lot.
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